PC won't recognize Picture Motion Browser (or camcorder)?

Question

Hi! I recently bought a Sony HDR SR11 camcorder and cannot transfer video from my camcorder to computer.

1. I cannot install the Picture Motion Browser (PMB) software that came with the camcorder. My PC does not even recognize the CD - it sees my CD/DVD drive as empty. (I put in other CDs and it works, so I don't think it's my drive. and I tried PMB disk in a friend's computer and it works so it's not the disk.) I then downloaded the free trial of Vegas Movie Studio Platnium, but when I try to "capture video" from my camcorder, it tells me there is no devise connected, even though I have my camcorder connected to the computer.

2. When I connect the camcorder to my computer via a UBS connection and turn the camcorder on, the computer does NOT recognize that it is connected to the camcorder (even though the camcorder can recognize that it is connected to the computer). I'm not sure if this is related to #1 above or not.

Any suggestions/thoughts would be much appreciated!

Answer 1

It's possible that your CD drive and the CD itself are at the opposite limits of a manufacturing tolerance.  It might be worth copying the CD on your friend's PC and trying to install from the copy.  I think there's a driver on that CD, so not having that installed might well account for the PC not seeing the camcorder.

VMS is a good choice for an editor, btw!